Chapter 5: Falling into the Water

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Guanning City, Shaocheng Province, Houwan Village, Yunlian Town.

Ning Ruyun felt an intense headache, as if someone had struck her with a blunt weapon, then she had fallen into water and choked on it. Her nose and throat burned with sharp, fiery pain, making her feel even worse.

A strong sense of danger surged through her. She suddenly opened her eyes but immediately felt pressure, her eyes stinging painfully underwater.

When she fully realized her situation, horror gripped her heart.

She had already enjoyed all the pleasures of life and died peacefully of old age—how could she have fallen into the water now?

Everything felt so real; what was happening?

Feeling her body was off, she calmed down and confirmed she was indeed underwater, struggling to hold her breath. Ning Ruyun quickly began to save herself, swimming upwards.

There were many aquatic plants here. Reeds lined both banks of the river, their branches floating on the surface, blocking many areas.

Along with spinach and water hyacinth and other plants growing on the surface, the river was murky. When Ning Ruyun poked her head out from among the reeds, she remained unseen.

Looking around, her heart grew even more terrified.

Especially when she saw the earthen embankment, the weeping willows on the riverbank, and not far away, a group of familiar yet strange people standing on the shore. Ning Ruyun felt dazed.

Her senses were sharp; she could see far and clearly distinguish the faces and actions of those people, which made everything feel unbelievably surreal.

At that moment, she heard piercing screams.

“Someone, help! Save her! A Yun fell into the water and was swept away!”

“Who here can swim? Someone who’s good in the water, please jump in and save her!”

“A Yun can’t swim. What if something happens? Hurry, save her!”

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Ning Ruyun heard these sharp cries and quickly recognized the voice as Feng Qingxue’s. She also realized the situation was grave.

As her consciousness fully returned and she understood she had been reborn at the moment she fell into the water years ago, Ning Ruyun’s expression instantly changed.

Especially seeing some people running onto the stone bridge, including her former fiancé Wei Zhitao, her pupils contracted sharply. Without a second thought, she dived back underwater and swiftly swam away with the current.

She had no desire to be saved again, no wish to have her reputation damaged and be forced into marriage.

Even though he was her fiancé, she no longer wanted the unfaithful man!

She had long learned to swim and mastered many other skills; rescuing herself from drowning was no problem and posed no danger.

As she submerged, Ning Ruyun sensed that the space she had obtained by chance in her previous life had returned with her. Inside were various supplies she had accumulated. Her heart leaped with joy. After searching briefly, she took out a diving mask and put it on before diving deeply underwater to avoid revealing her location. She quickly swam downstream to a hidden spot and then surfaced.

Those shouting on the bridge and embankment were indeed Ning Ruyun’s treacherous so-called best friend, Feng Qingxue—the mastermind who had struck her from behind, causing her to fall into the water.

Everything had been deliberately planned by Feng Qingxue!

Feng Qingxue had taken a bribe from the village’s old bachelor Zhao Dacheng, intending to create a chance for Zhao to play the hero and seize the opportunity to take advantage of Ning Ruyun in front of everyone, forcing her to marry him and ruining her engagement to Wei Zhitao.

She coveted Wei Zhitao and wanted to steal this prime man for herself.

Besides, Feng Qingxue had always been jealous of Ning Ruyun and longed to destroy her, to trample her underfoot so she would never recover.

For a woman, marriage is the second major life decision.

If Ning Ruyun’s engagement was broken and she was forced to marry a poor, ugly, and ill-tempered old bachelor like Zhao Dacheng, her life would be essentially ruined.

Feng Qingxue herself was well married, forming a stark contrast to Ning Ruyun—this was Feng’s plan to destroy her.

Though Ning Ruyun had suffered injuries leaving scars on her face, making her less beautiful, the Ning family still loved and cherished her dearly, so her life was still relatively comfortable.

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All of this made Feng Qingxue even more consumed by envy and hatred, forcing her to endure quietly and deliberately approach Ning Ruyun.

Feng Qingxue had always disguised her true nature well, fooling almost everyone. But this time, to ruin Ning Ruyun’s engagement with Wei Zhitao, steal the man, and manipulate Ning Ruyun into marrying Zhao Dacheng, she couldn’t wait any longer. She seized this opportunity, lured Ning Ruyun, struck her with a blunt weapon, and made it easier for Zhao Dacheng to jump into the water to "save" her.

If Zhao Dacheng failed and Ning Ruyun drowned, that would be her own fault!

Even though Feng Qingxue feared exposure and imprisonment, her heart was overwhelmed with hatred. She couldn’t rest until Ning Ruyun was destroyed, so she took the risk.

Feng Qingxue wanted to ruin Ning Ruyun completely. If Ning Ruyun really married Zhao Dacheng, Zhao would have the chance to live comfortably, gain a wife, and receive plenty of benefits from the Ning family. Zhao Dacheng wouldn’t easily give up.

After all, Ning Ruyun was disfigured and ugly, unworthy of Wei Zhitao. If their engagement was broken, no one would want to marry a woman like her.

As for Zhao Dacheng, he had no money for a bride price. This scheme allowed him to leverage the rescue incident to make Ning Ruyun marry him. Zhao Dacheng reluctantly agreed to try.

With no other prospects, he was willing to take the chance.

Even if Ning Ruyun resisted marrying him after he saved her, he could still demand more gifts from the Ning family. Either way, he wouldn’t lose out.

However, when Zhao Dacheng arrived at the bridge but hadn’t yet jumped in, Wei Zhitao had already dashed over, taken off his shoes, and plunged into the water to save her.

Seeing Wei Zhitao jump in to rescue Ning Ruyun, Feng Qingxue was shocked. She wanted to stop him but was too late. She gritted her teeth and looked at Zhao Dacheng, hoping he would jump in soon and find her before Wei Zhitao, so he could take full advantage of the situation in front of everyone, ruin Ning Ruyun’s reputation, and force her to marry him.

Ning Ruyun had to marry Zhao Dacheng for Feng Qingxue to feel vindicated!

Watching the murky, rushing water, Feng Qingxue clenched her fists tightly.